Cosatu has said President Cyril Ramaphosa’s administration’s dysfunction and feebleness in the face of a crisis of corruption over COVID-19 funds is alarming.
The trade union federation, which is an ally of the ANC, reminded Ramaphosa that he ascended to power in 2017 on the ticket of fighting corruption.
The workers’ organisation noted that government departments and municipalities were engulfed in allegations of corruption related to COVID-19 funds in the purchase of personal protective equipment (PPEs).
“While workers are facing death, politically connected individuals are being allowed to be “middle-men” for suppliers causing excessive and deliberate inflation of pricing points. We reiterate our call for the government to buy directly from actual manufacturers,” Cosatu spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said in a statement.
“We want to remind him (Ramaphosa) that he made a solid commitment to the nation that he was going to champion the fight against corruption in the build-up to Nasrec (ANC conference in 2017). He promised to do away with the impunity that was prevalent in the previous administration; we demand more action from the pesident and fewer banalities and clichés,” he added.
Pamla said Ramaphosa and Public Enterprise Minister Pravin Gordhan were to blame for the appointment of Jabu Mabuza as the former chairperson of Eskom.
This is after it emerged that the power utility cancelled a questionable R100 million contract that was awarded to Mabuza’s niece, Nomvula Mabuza.
“They (Ramaphosa and Gordhan) have to shoulder the responsibility for the sins of former Eskom chairperson Jabu Mabuza. They individually lobbied for him to take over the position at Eskom. They argued that his appointment was not just about saving the power utility but also the economy,” Pamla said.
He said under Ramaphosa, the ANC continued to be seen as a rent-seeking, unaccountable caste, adding “the president needs to act decisively and prove that his administration is not a powerless scarecrow with rubber teeth.”
Ramaphosa said the country was faced with a real problem of families and friends of political office-bearers or public servants receiving contracts from the state.
“Not all conduct of this sort is necessarily criminal, but it does contribute to a perception and a culture of nepotism, favouritism and abuse. And it undermines public confidence in the integrity of our institutions and processes.
Ramaphosa’s spokesperson, Khusela Diko, is on leave after it emerged that her husband, Amabhaca chief, Madzikane II Thandisizwe Diko, was awarded a R125m tender to supply PPEs.
The ANC in Gauteng has since asked Gauteng Health MEC Bandile Masuku to step asided pending investigations.
Sunday Independent has reported that Khusela Diko is long-time buddies and a political confidant of Masuku’s wife, Loyiso Lugayeni-Masuku.
“If, as public servants and political office-bearers, we claim to be serious about restoring public trust that has been severely eroded by corruption, we must avoid even the perception of conflicts of interest,” Ramaphosa said.
In his weekly letter, the president said corruption during a national disaster was a heinous type of crime and that perpetrators were going to be dealt with decisively and harshly.
